Post-Oxford squad assessment

Bazza Cotter

 

Does make me wonder.
1st game of season - comfortable win (very).
Next game poor and seemingly getting poorer each game.
Is it because in the 1st the players were still playing to last year's tactics and now they are changing to Collins' tactics/playing style? If so I dread to think about the season ahead...

 

The main bit of recruitment I would hope for is a new CEO to replace the bloke we have currently.

 

Our Squad;

2x senior goalkeepers
4x right backs
1x left back
6x centre backs, only one of whom has started more than 60 EFL matches
6x central midfielders. All accomplished but not perhaps all committed
5x strikers with 82 EFL goals between them (52 from one of them)

 

I know what you mean about Styles but at the same time it has to be said has he ever played well centrally for us? I’ve never seen it.

 

I can’t imagine we’re signing a centre back unless someone leaves. We’ve got 6 on the books & Williams who often plays there.

 

That’s a more than big enough squad. Problem is our scattergun approach that recruits quantity instead of quality. Why the hell have we got 4 right backs for a start? We still need a commanding CH but have already got 6 and still need target man type striker but already have 5.
Recruitment policy is crackers.

 

This has been a learning week for all of us, fans, board and coach. We have two weeks to save the season. I started listing all the negatives things I learned this week but didn’t post it because I sounded like my late dad. He said they should plough it up and plant taties. We can still turn it round if Collins is good enough.

 

At least this week means there's no papering over the cracks it's clear something needs to change,of all the players to come in only Robert's is adequate replacement for what we have lost. We came up just sort last season so we needed a slight improvement we cant expect National league players to jump up two leagues and provide that improvement.

 

He was fantastic as a wing back. Easily our best player (for a while) in a decent team but as a centre mid I don’t see it.

 

If Kitching did go to Coventry for, say, £4 million, we could look to signing the likes of both Marc Roberts and Batth. Batth is a left-sided central defender, so would fit into Kitching's place and Roberts would be the other experienced central defender we need. With the combined sales of Andersen and Kitching, if he were to go, we could surely afford those two and would have two experienced defenders to bring on the promising, but inexperienced Lopata in the middle. I actually hope that Kitching stays, but Batth would be a good replacement if he did. If we go cheap, it won't matter how well the midfield and strikers play, we will always be conceding goals and will struggle.

 

Kitching needs sorting this week. Either sell or tell him he’s staying no matter what.

If not he can’t play at Wigan. I know he’s still a good player, and he’s a young lad so I understand his focus not quite being there. I don’t believe for a second he’s intentionally gone off the boil. I’d love him to stay but if they could get anything like £4million for him (which I doubt), AND use that money to address the squad issues (I don’t necessarily mean spend it all on transfer fees, but at least use it on new players fees and wages combined), then it might not be a wholly bad thing.

I don’t think it is completely out of the question that Kitching, Styles and Kane all leave this window. I know they said on Friday that wouldn’t happen - of sorts - but if it takes selling them all to get a decent budget together to both balance/improve the squad - and to stay solvent, so be it. There’s clearly issues in the team, it might well be discontent in the squad - the interviews with certain players have suggested that too.

Taking the money and replacing them cheaply doesn’t necessarily have to mean a 21-22 year old, and/or a player from non league. League experience and nous isn’t necessarily that expensive. We already need at least two players in my eyes, so selling more mean we need more - but if we need to sell one or two to afford to bring in four or five, as much as it might seem counterintuitive, it might work out being for the greater good.

 

As of now we need at the minimum 3 players. A striker, Central defender & midfielder in the mould of Connell. If we sell Styles, Kitching & Kane as I suspect, then we’ll need 6 in. It could be a busy week or so. Otherwise a relegation battle follows, especially if we get hit with a points deduction.

 

Looks like Collins has coached out last years successful style of play in four league games.

 

Where's this £4m thing come from??!? Laughable. If they've witnessed our last couple of games, they'll be undercutting their previous offers.

 

Reckon we’ll see a couple of loans in, probably centre half and striker. Still pretty sure we’ll see Tedic come back.
If Kane goes, and his body language on Saturday added to his interview suggest he’d like to, then I can see three loans in. Can’t see us paying money for anybody if I’m honest.

 

Who`s going to pay money for Kane?

 

Think they might look at it like the Norwood deal. Small fee and get almost a years worth of wages off the books. He was absolutely abysmal on Sat.

 

He`d be great if everyone else played at his speed - very slow.

 

He's definitely not as good as he thinks he is.